Hard to clean carbs? 1980 yamaha xs400?

Question

i'm looking to buy a bike that needs carbs cleaned, but my budget doesn't quite allow for that. is it hard (and by hard i mean complicated or difficult, not time consuming) to clean them yourself?

Answer 1

squiggys right  get a manual and take pictures  take the pics before you even touch any thing  it definitely helps reconnecting the hoses

Answer 2

not to hard ,get a factory service manual costs a little more than clymer or haynes but worth it.

Answer 3

It's not that hard. Buy a can of gummout's choke and carb cleaner. Take the carbs off of the bike (drain the gas out of the float bowls first). Start with the float bowl side first ,unscrew all of the covers and shoot it with the carb cleaner. Put the covers back on now. Be ready to strip the h**l out of those little screws, they're soft metal and it's common to have to replace them when you service the carbs. Now on the jet side, remove the covers. Take the black plunger slides out (keep them clean) Unscew the little jets. Blast them with the choke and carb cleaner. You are really supposed to use compressed air also. They sell jet cleaners too. They are like the skinny wires that you slide into the jet holes. You can buy those at pep boys. Blast it all again with the carb cleaner and put it all back together. That's the driveway/shade tree mechanic's guide to carb cleaning!

Answer 4

No, it's not that difficult.  Be buying a repair manual and follow the instructions.  Use a digital camera and take pictures as you go along.

We used to use Polaroids.  Digitals are much better.